33% of Americans Would Buy a Refurbished Smartphone (but not for environmental reasons)

A new survey by Sellcell, a site for selling phones online, says Americans would buy a refurbished smartphone — but not necessarily for environmental reasons. Based on responses from 10,057 U.S. adults, the study showed:

• 66.7% of respondents would not consider buying a refurbished smartphone, while a massive 33.3% of respondents said they would.
• 23.7% only buy new smartphones, 21.6% are concerned about quality or reliability, and 21.4% wouldn’t consider a refurbished handset because they aren’t motivated by environmental issues.
• 13.6% will buy refurbished smartphones if the quality is good, 12.7% will buy to save money, only 3.6% will buy to help the environment, and 3.4% will buy it as a secondary smartphone or for a child.
• More women than men will only buy new phones (12.1% vs. 11.5%). However, more men will buy refurbished if the quality is good or if it saves them money (7.2% and 6.8%, respectively).
• Apple devices account for 14 of the 20 most purchased refurbished smartphones, with the iPhone XR the most purchased, taking a 9.9% of the Top 20 Refurbished Phones sold.

Alongside its Phone Trade-in Comparison, SellCell offers a Refurbished Phone Comparison that’s designed to help users get the best price for refurbished tech.